"Did you think of them for me when you set aside my marriage with your son, because you did not think me good enough to be a countess?" she asked. "Lady Lanswell, the hour of vengeance has come and I embrace it. Your son shall lose his wife, his home, his position, his honors; I care not what," she cried, with sudden recklessness--"I care not what the world says of me, I will do that which I shall do, less because I love your son than because I desire to punish you." Lady Lanswell grew very pale as she listened. "Yours is a terrible revenge," she said, gently. "I wish that you could invent some vengeance that would fall on my head--and on mine alone, so as to spare those who are dear to me. Could you not do that? I would willingly suffer anything to free my son and his fair, loving wife." "No one spared me, nor will I in my turn spare," she said. "You shall know what it means to plead for dear life and plead in vain." "Can I say nothing that will induce you to listen to me?" said the countess, "will you deliberately persist in the conduct that will ruin three lives?" "Yes, deliberately and willfully," said Leone. "I will never retract, never go back, but go on to the bitter end." "And that end means my son's disgrace," said Lady Lanswell. "It would be the same thing if it meant his death," said Leone; "no one withheld the hand that struck death to me--worse than death." "You have nothing but this to say to me," said Lady Lanswell as she rose with stately grace from her seat. "No; if I knew anything which would punish you more, which would more surely pay my debts, which would more fully wreak my vengeance, I would do it. As for three lives, as for thirty, I would trample them under my feet. I will live for my vengeance, no matter what it costs me; and, Lady Lanswell, you ruined my life. Good-bye. The best wish I can form is that I may never look on your face again. Permit me to say farewell." She went out of the room leaving the countess bewildered with surprise and dismay. "What she says she will do," thought Lady Lanswell; "I may say good-bye to every hope I have ever formed for my son." She went away, her heart heavy as lead, with no hope of any kind to cheer it. Leone went to her room, her whole frame trembling with the strong passion that had mastered her. "What has come over me?" she said; "I no longer know myself. Is it love, vengeance, or jealousy that has hold of me? What evil spirit has taken my heart? Would I really hurt him whom I have loved all my life--would I do him harm? Would I crush that fair wife of his who wronged me without knowing it? Let me find out for myself if it be true."